Part 6

It is important to note that most of the available texts compare the situation of a believer to that of a disbeliever, without making reference to a sinful believer. Because of this we assume that, in this comparison, a “believer” is one whose good deeds overweigh his sins, so that he will not be punished in the grave or on the Day of Judgement.

As for the believers who have been so sinful as to deserve punishment before they enter Jannah, they may be punished in their graves, and possibly after resurrection as well. Their punishment has not been fully detailed in the Sunnah. Yet, some of its forms have been described by the Prophet (44). This is covered in Chapter 8 titled, “The Sinful in al-Barzakh”.

The following table compares what happens, in each case or situation, to a believer and a disbeliever. The references are numbered after the long hadiths cited in Chapter 2. Other references, marked with a “*”, are presented later in this chapter under the section titled, “Related Texts”.

Action or A Believer A Disbeliever Ref. Event

Angels descend | They are angels | They are angels | 1,4 from the heaven | of mercy. Their | of punishment. to “witness” the | faces are white | They are strong,

death. and bright like) hulking, with

the sun. dark faces. Things brought | They bring a They bring 1,4 by the piece of white coarse fabrics “witnessing” silk and from the Fire. angels: embalmment

from Jannah. Sitting position | They sit at the limit of his 1 of the angels: eyesight. Arrival of the He sits by his head. 1 What the “Depart from “Depart from 4 “witnessing” the body to the body to angels say to Allah’s granted | Allah’s wrath.” the soul: happiness.” The angel of “Depart, O “Depart, O 1,2 death’s good and malicious soul command to the | peaceful soul that inhabited a soul to leave the | that inhabited a | malicious

Life in Al-Barzakh 25 The Moment of Death

Action or A Believer A Disbeliever Ref. Event The angel of “Depart to “Depart to 1,2 death’s tidings Allah’s Allah’s wrath to the soul: forgiveness and | and anger;

pleasure; depart | depart in a

in a praised condemned

state; and state; and

receive glad receive evil

tidings of tidings of

sweet aromas, dirty wound and a Lord who | discharges, and is not angry.” other types of suffering.”

How long does _ | He continues to say this until the 2 the angel of soul leaves the body. death say this?

The soul’s It leaves the It becomes 1 departure from | body as water terrified, and the body: flows from the} clings to the

spout of a water | body; the angel skin; the angel of death extracts of death takes it | it by force, easily. causing the veins and nerves to burst.

The dying He longs to He hates to 6 person’s feeling | meet Him and meet Him and about meeting loves that. fears that.

Action or A Believer A Disbeliever | Ref. Event

What the person | He praises He request to be | *, says as his soul | Allah. allowed to p.4 leaves his body: return to life.

What happens It follows the departing soul. *

Saying of the They supplicate | They curse him. | ] angels in the for him. heavens and on

earth as the soul leaves the body:

The gates to the | They open for They are shut; 1

heavens, and him; their their guardians their guardians: | guardians plead | plead Allah to Allah to send avert this soul this soul in their | from them. direction. Action of the They do not leave it in his hand J “witnessing” for as little as the blinking of an

angels after the | eye. angel of death takes the soul:

Action of the They place it in | They put it in 1 “witnessing” the shroud and | the fabric from angels after they | embalmment the Fire.

receive the soul: | from Jannah.

Life in Al-Barzakh 27 The Moment of Death

Action or A Believer A Disbeliever Ref. Event emanating from | smelling scent repugnant odor the departing of musk that of a decaying soul: ever existed on | cadaver that the surface of ever existed on the earth. the surface of the earth, Related Texts PRAISING ALLAH

Ibn ‘Abbas (‘#) reported that Allah’s Messenger (8) said:

<A believer praises Allah as his soul leaves from between his two sides. '

THE EYESIGHT FOLLOWS THE SOUL Umm Salamah (t#) reported that the Prophet (4) said:

THE WRONG-DOERS IN THE AGONIES OF DEATH

1 Recorded by Ahmad and others; verified to be authentic by al-Albant (Sahih ul2 Muslim and others.

PS Uy ST tke Sia pT SLT LS ST

CHAPTER 4 TRIP TO THE HEAVENS AND BACK

After departing from the bodies, the souls are taken up on a trip to the heavens. The believers’ souls are warmly welcomed, and are admitted into all of the heavens. They meet the souls of other believers and receive their Lord’s praise before returning into the bodies. The disbelievers’ souls are condemned, and are not allowed to enter the heavens. They receive their Lord’s blame before falling into the bodies. These incidents are detailed in the following table.

The numbered references refer to the hadiths in Chapter 2. The “*” references are cited toward the end of this chapter.

Event A Believer A Disbeliever Ref. Supplication of | “A good soul is | “An evil soul is | * the angels in the | coming from coming from heavens: the earth; may the earth.”

body that you had inhabited.” |

Who takes the The “witnessing” angels ascend i soul up to the with it. heavens:

Event A Believer A Disbeliever Ref. Smelling the The angels pass | (Not 4 soul’s musky it from one to applicable.) aroma: the next to

smell it. What angel “What is this “What is this 1 gatherings ask good soul?” malicious soul?”

along the way to the heavens:

“witnessing” so, son of so so, son of so response: uttering the best | uttering the

names with worst names

which he had with which he

been known. had been

Requesting When they reach the lowest 1,2 |

admission to the | heaven, they ask for permission to heavens: enter.

Reception by “Welcome, “Unwelcome, 2 the angels good soul that malicious soul guarding the inhabited a that inhabited a lowest heaven’s | good body; malicious body; gates: enter in a return in a praised state; condemned and receive glad | state, because tidings of the gates to the happiness, heavens will not sweet aromas, open for you.”

and a Lord who is not angry.”

Life in Al-Barzakh 31 Trip to the Heavens and Back

Event A Believer A Disbeliever Ref. Admission of The gates open | The gates are 1,2 the soul into the | for it; it is shut, and it is

heavens: admitted into all | not admitted,

of the heavens. | even into the lowest heaven.

the angels welcomed in applicable.)

guarding the every heaven,

upper heavens’ | until it reaches

above which is Allah’s Throne.

The angels’ At the gate to (Not 4 amazement at each heaven, applicable.) the beauty of they ask, “What the soul’s scent: | is this beautiful scent coming

Escorts between | The most elite (Not 1 the heavens: angels of each _| applicable.) heaven escort it to the next one.

Meeting of the | The angels take | (Not 4,6 soul with the it to the souls of | applicable.) believers’ souls: | the believers.

Event A Believer A Disbeliever | Ref. the believers’ happier in applicable.) souls: seeing it than are those to

whom a dear one returns

absence. Writing the Allah says, Allah says, 1 records: “Write My “Write his

records in Sijjin in the

‘Illiyytin” lowest earth.” Allah’s “Take him back to the earth to 1,* command to the | complete its appointed time before “witnessing” resurrection. I promised them that angels to return | from it I create them, into it I the soul: return them, and from it I resurrect

Return to the His soul is His soul is cast 1,2 body: returned to the | down from the body. heavens without

regard; it falls into his body in

the grave. Hearing the He hears the thumping of his 1 people’s companions’ shoes as they walk footsteps: away from his grave. The squeeze of | No one is spared it. *

Life in Al-Barzakh 33 Trip to the Heavens and Back

Related Texts SQUEEZE OF THE GRAVE

No human being will be spared the squeeze of the grave. However, the following hadith indicates that it is not at the same degree of severity for all people; some of the believers are released from its grip quicker than others. Ibn ‘Abbas (‘#s) said that Allah’s Messenger (6) said:

THE ANGELS’ SUPPLICATION FOR THE BELIEVERS Abi Hurayrah (<4) reported that Allah’s Messenger (8) said:

<When the soul of a believer departs from the body, it is taken by two angels who rise with it (here he (48) described the sweetness of its fragrance). The inhabitants of the heaven say, “A good soul is coming from the direction of the earth; may Allah’s blessings be upon you and upon the body that you had inhabited.” He is then taken to his Lord, Who says, “Take it to complete its appointed time (before resurrection).”

But when the soul of a disbeliever departs from the body (here he (88) described its foul odor), the inhabitants of the heaven say, “An evil soul is coming from the direction of the earth.” Then it is said, “Take it to complete its appointed time.”> ”

CHAPTER 5 THE FINAL TEST

The soul returns to the body after the burial, just in time for the “Final Test”. Two very stern angels conduct the test. They ask the soul questions that test the person’s level of belief and adherence to the Prophet (4). With firm words, a believer provides the correct answers, whereas a disbeliever stutters and provides wrong answers. These incidents are detailed in this chapter.